Monday, June 14, 2010

“Helen Thomas and “archetypal” democracy! ”

“Helen Thomas and “archetypal” democracy!!”

On June 14, the state-controlled Al-Watan (Syria) daily carried the following opinionpiece by Khaled Bdeir:

“American democracy is so odd, because in form it is with“extra sugar” [Arabic expression meaning perfect] while in fact, it is void ofany content. It is the democracy of cultural, moral and ethical vandalism inwhich American citizens can wear, eat, sing and listen to whatever they want.But this is only form. In reality, they are consuming what the American mediaoutlets are offering them in terms of goods and products, in which case, theyare subjected to those paying the most to the most renowned outlets and this iswhere it does not have “extra sugar.” There is no real democracy in the area ofopinion, especially on urgent matters. There is also no democracy in tacklingsensitive issues, as the disputes between Hillary Clinton and her husband or theway President Obama treats his dog do not fall in the latter context and theAmericans can address them as much as they please. This is the democracy of thatcountry.

“However, those like intellectual Noam Chomsky who is calling for the lifting ofWashington’s hegemony over the people of this Earth and for positiveintervention in favor of human rights, are besieged. In this context, the storyof journalist Helen Thomas, the 89-year old dean of White House correspondentswho has been covering the activities of the White House since the days ofAmerican President John Kennedy, testifies to this “archetypical” Americandemocracy. In response to a question by a Rabbi named David Nesenoff regardingthe Zionist entity, Helen Thomas stated: “Tell them – the Jews - to get the hellout of Palestine,” adding: “Remember, these people are occupied and it's theirland. It's not Germany, it's not Poland!” Asked “where should the Jews go?” shereplied: “Poland, Germany and America and everywhere else…”

“Naturally, this solution did not and will not ever please decision-makers inthe United States who perceive the Zionist entity as their advanced barrack, theguardian of their interests and part of their “civilization, morals and values.”Therefore, the old journalist faced a flow of condemnation, starting with theWhite House spokesman who said that her statements were “offensive andreprehensible” and ending with the Jewish lobby. Organizations such as the“Anti-Defamation League” said: “Her remarks were outrageous, offensive andinappropriate. Her suggestion that Israelis should go back to Poland and Germanyis bigoted and shows a profound ignorance of history.”

“As for Ari Fleischer, the former White House spokesman during the term ofGeorge Bush, he believes that “She is advocating religious cleansing… It is asbad as saying that all the blacks should leave America and return to Africa."What Fleischer is forgetting however, is that the arrival of the blacks toAmerica was not an invasion or an occupation, but due to White America’s needfor someone to serve in their country … Still, he added: “Hearst should do theright thing and fire her,” to which the Hearst administration did not take longto respond, announcing her resignation. The United States’ alleged democracy didnot fit the opinions of journalist Helen Thomas… This is American democracy!Without “extra sugar?!”” (Al-Watan Syria, Syria)